The Air Force will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the rank of chief master sergeant on Dec. 1 with a special ceremony at the National Museum of the United States Air Force on the grounds of Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime event which will be both memorable and inspiring for all those who attend,” said CMSgt. Michael Ronayne, secretary of the Chiefs’ Group at Wright-Patterson. Retired CMSAF Robert Gaylor, USAF’s fifth CMSAF, will be the guest speaker for the nearly 200 guests that have already signed up, including retired chiefs who were pinned when the rank was introduced on Dec 1. 1959. (Wright-Patterson report by Chandra Lloyd)
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.